The Tree of Life
by almostfamou5
Summary: Kevney. She could have lost him forever.
1. Chapter 1

**The Tree of Life**

They were lying on a brown leather couch in his apartment. She was hovering over him, gently stroking his handsome face and stopping at his lips. He had his eyes closed, enjoying every movement of her delicate fingers. She couldn't resist any more and pressed her lips to his causing him to inhale sharply. It was a perfect moment, a moment they both didn't won't to give away. Ever. But they had to.

"Baby, I need to go. He'll be home in two hours and I don't want any surprises or unnecessary troubles." Whitney had her head on his chest inhaling his unique scent, the scent she would recognize everywhere, the scent she loved so much.

"I know." It was all Kevin said this time. Normally he would tell her how much he hated these moments, how much he wanted her to stay with him forever. But not today. Today he didn't want to waste one second of their time together on arguments or her marriage. He just wanted to hold her in his arms as long as possible.

"I love you so much. I never loved a man the way I love you." By saying that she pressed her head against his chest even more, trying to get closer to him as much as possible.

"I know.I love you too. You're healing me." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, holding her closer to him.

If she just knew how much the goodbyes hurt him. Every time she walked out of his door she would take one piece of his heart with her. She gave him a long kiss goodbye at the door and left. He watched her drive away, wishing she would just hit the breaks, turn the car around and come back to him. She never did. Kevin closed the door and went back inside. The house always felt empty without her. After his divorce he bought a new house, about 20min away from Whitney's. They would usually meet there, spend some time together and she would go back to him. She would go back to her daughter, that's what Whitney would say.

She couldn't stop her tears from falling while she was driving back to her house. She was hurting as much as Kevin. Being married to a man she didn't love was a pure torture to her. But she had to. She didn't want her daughter to grow up without a father, even though Kevin would have been a wonderful father to BK. Still, her daughter loved her father and she didn't want to tear her away from him. Whitney was ready to sacrifice her happiness for BK's.

She arrived to an empty house. BK was at her mother's and BB wasn't at home yet. She picked up her phone and dialed the well-known number.

"Hey, baby. You still awake?" She just wanted to hear his voice again.

"Hey beautiful. Yeah, I can't sleep yet and I was hoping for you to call. Traffic was alright?" He was stalling.

"Was good." She was quite for a moment. "It was a beautiful evening Kevin. Thank you."

"Yes, it was. It always is." He closed his eyes, recalling their moments together and wishing he could touch her. "Are you going to bed now?"

"I'm going up to my room to take a shower and then I'll put on your college sweater, read gossip about you and some blondes and go to bed." The gossip comment made him chuckle and it made him all warm inside knowing that she was wearing his sweater to bed. Whitney and her husband weren't sleeping in the same room since two years, so there was no problem to wear Kevin's sweater.

"Which one is it?" She took three of his sweaters and never gave them back. Well, three sweaters he knew of.

"The blue one with the yellow letters." It was her favorite one.

"I don't remember giving you that one." He was looking for that sweater while ago.

"I took it after the softball game last year. Well, I didn't take it per se, I actually ripped it off of you while we were… you know. It was something like a souvenir." She was teasing him. Their love making in the locker room that day was one to remember. It was passionate and frantic and… perfect.

"Oooooh, right. The softball game. Ok, now I definitely have something to lull me to sleep tonight." Kevin was grinning ear to ear.

"You're welcome. Love you, babes. Sleep tight and call me after your meeting tomorrow." She hated to end their conversation but it was already late and she had to get up early.

"Love you too. I'll call, I promise. Sweet dreams, beautiful. Bye." After this conversation his dreams are definitely going to be sweet.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's note: Thank you everyone for taking your time and reviewing my story. I truly appreciate it! _**

**Chapter 2**

That night Bobby came home very late. He bumped into a chair on his way up to his room. Whitney woke with a start and sat up sensing the obvious. "Gosh, not again", she thought to herself and got up to see what was going on outside her room. Bobby was groping in the dark barely able to walk a crooked line.

"Do you have to bump into every damn thing in the house?" Whitney switched on the lights and yelled out loud. She was annoyed and sick of him waking her up every time he decided to hang out with his "dogs" and get drunk.

"Watch ya mjhjdfghjf." Talking was also not working for him at that moment.

"Don't you dare tell me to watch my mouth, Bobby! Thank God, BK is not home. Why can't you just grow up!" She turned around and slammed the door behind her. Bobby simply winced and continued his journey to his room. There was some rustling coming from his room and a few minutes later silence was almost tangible in the whole house. He must have finally fallen asleep.

Whitney couldn't sleep at all and her thoughts wandered to the one man she loved with all her heart. Since she started seeing Kevin on a regular basis, her self-confidence improved immensely. She wasn't afraid of Bobby any more. He gave her strength and made her feel safe. When Kevin once found out about Bobby slapping Whitney during an argument, he didn't hesitate for one moment, got in the car and drove to Bobby's studio. He ran inside passing all Bobby's friends without saying a word, walked up to him and hit him right in the face. He broke his nose and slammed him against the wall causing him to fall to the floor. Bobby managed to get up while his face was all covered in blood. While he was cursing, Kevin pressed him against the wall and told him that if he'd ever hurt Whitney again he would personally castrate him in front of his "dogs". None of Bobby's friends made one move. After that night Bobby never touched Whitney again and they never talked about it neither.

Whitney sat up and grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand. She quickly typed a message to the man who was constantly invading her thoughts. _I wish you were here_, was all she typed assuming he was already asleep. To her own surprise she received an answer from Kevin about five minutes later. The message said _I want you here, now and forever. I'll even make you coffee in the morning._ Whitney smiled at his adorable answer and cuddled herself into his sweater and her blanket. Now she'll be able to finally fall asleep herself.

Around noon Kevin walked out of the Touchstone Studio feeling relieved about the producers' enthusiasm for his new movie idea. The Open Range script was something he wanted to do for a while now but never had the time to engage in that project. His mood changed quickly after noticing the weather outside. It looked like the rain that held back all day cascaded down from the heavens upon the earth. He walked out from his protection the rain rolling off of him sending a shiver through his body. Kevin finally reached his car and called Whitney to tell her he might be a little late for their lunch.

"I'm really sorry honey, it me took longer than I planed." He felt guilty about being late for their lunch.

"Don't worry babes, I'm still at home and was just about to head out. Dione is saying hi, by the way." Whitney wasn't mad at him at all. She just wanted to see him, no matter what time. "Listen Kev, how about you give me a call when you're like 10 minutes away from the restaurant? My _precious_ husband is at the studio doing who knows what and will be back late night anyway. So, I have all the time of the world."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan. Geez, what's with the weather today. It's pouring down like crazy." Kevin was about to pull out of his parking lot.

"Baby, please drive carefully. Did you hear me, Kev? Promise me you'll drive carefully. I really don't mind waiting a few minutes longer." Suddenly, she got a bad feeling about the whole situation and wanted nothing more than to have him in her arms right that moment.

"Whit, no worries. I'll drive carefully, I promise. I always do, you know that. Listen, I'll see you in a few. Love you, beautiful." With that he hang up after hearing her say _Love you more_ to him.

About an hour later Whitney started to panic. Kevin didn't call her back and the weather was getting even worse. Dione was trying to calm her down but she didn't succeed. Whitney was fainting and felt like passing out any minute. She called his cell phone about 20 times but he never answered.

The sudden ringing of her phone shook her to the bone and she quickly grabbed the receiver. "Kevin? It was about time, baby. You really got me worried." She didn't even realize that it could have been her husband or someone else calling her.

"Hey Whitney, it's not Kevin. It's… it's Jim. Listen, there was a car accident near the city hall about 20 minutes ago. The only thing I know is that they brought Kevin to the hospital."

Everything faded away for Whitney. She dropped the receiver and sank to the floor. The tears started streaming down her face…


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's comment: Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews, I truly appreciate them. Special thanks to LegaspiWeaver for her encouraging tweets. :-)_

**Chapter 3**

Whitney and Dionne watched with sad eyes the scene in front of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The paparazzi were queued up outside the hospital and there was no chance Whitney could get inside without being noticed. She was near crying and sighed frustrated by the situation. "Well this is just great." The paparazzi already heard about the accident and the Hollywood star being brought to the UCLA Medical Center. Each one of them wanted to be the first to break the news about Kevin's state of health. At least Whitney knew Kevin's injuries weren't as bad as she thought. She called Annie on her way to the hospital to ask her about Kevin's state and Annie told her about his injured leg. His car was hit by a truck, luckily not on the driver's side. Kevin's leg got stuck between his seat and the hand gear. Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene from a nearby fire station and began advanced life support and administered medication to Kevin's severe pain. He was conscious and alert and was airlifted by a medical helicopter to UCLA Medical Center with a serious leg injury.

"I can't go in there. Imagine the headlines in the morning 'Whitney and Kevin finally reunited'." She was angry now and wanted to hit someone or something.

"What do you care? Besides, you could be be visiting him as a friend. I'll be with you too." Dionne was trying to encourage her.

"Oh give me a break, Dionne. We are not talking about some amateurs here. Each one of them is just waiting for a scandal to happen and I can't use one. I can't put BK through some bad press again. She's been through enough, thanks to her inglorious father." Whitney was definitely pissed off now and frustrated with the whole situation. She just wanted to see Kevin but she couldn't. "Please go in there, Dionne and see how's my baby doing. Please, Dionne." She couldn't hold back anymore and the tears started to fall.

"Whitney, the moment he sees me instead of you, his heart will break. You know that, right?" Dionne knew where this was leading.

"Try to explain him the whole situation. He'll understand, I'm sure. Tell him I'll come to see him as soon as he gets out of the hospital and I'll call him tonight." Dionne simply sighed and got out of the car.

All Whitney wanted was run to Kevin and put her arms around him. Tell him that she was so glad he was alive, that he'd survived, that he wouldn't be leaving her. But she sat there, simply looking at Dionne walking towards the hospital, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before starting her car and driving back home.

Whitney felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to take a shower, cuddle her daughter to sleep and call Kevin. She walked into the house and went straight to the kitchen to have some water when she heard her daughter's happy laughing coming from a room nearby. Whitney followed her daughter's voice and her laughing to the living room. The scene in front of her took her breath away. Her husband and her daughter were sitting on the couch eating popcorn, chatting happily and watching one of Whitney's concerts. "Mommy was soooo pretty," BK said and put some popcorn in her mouth.

"What do you mean by _was_, BK? She still is, right?" Bobby was talking to his daughter never taking eyes off the screen. "Mommy!" BK noticed Whitney standing at the door and jumped off the couch to greet her.

"Hey sweetheart! What are you two doing in here?" She was a little bit confused by the rare scene in front of her.

"Come on, join us. We were watching some of your earlier concerts and I definitely need some support here. Our daughter was giggling about your _offbeat_ hairstyles and refuses to accept the concept of the extravagance of the 80's." Bobby was grinning at Whitney and tapped the place on the couch signaling her to join them. BK was dragging Whitney by her hand leading her to the couch. She couldn't refuse her daughter and it was easier to go along with Bobby rather than risk an argument. And after a while she realized that she was actually having fun and it warmed her heart to see her daughter being happy.

Meanwhile in the hospital Kevin was waiting for a call, the one call that was supposed to pull him out of his self-pity and apathy. But the call didn't happen.

The next day Whitney had breakfast with her husband and daughter, something they didn't do in a while. Later that day Bobby left for some business meetings and BK was invited to a birthday party. As soon as she was alone, Whitney called the hospital hoping to talk to Kevin. A nurse answered the call telling her that she couldn't give out any information about her patient, so Whitney called Annie again.

"He was released from the hospital this morning." Annie was at school and couldn't speak too long.

"That's great! I'll step by his house and see how's he doing." Whitney was relieved. She would finally see him and explain the whole situation. She actually didn't know how to explain it to him but she'll figure something out.

"He left the town, Whitney. Jim drove him up to the ranch about two hours ago. Something is going on with dad and I'm worried about him. He's pretending nothing's wrong and letting the troubles consume him. I know his leg is hurting and he'll need lots of exercising but there's something else. He was lost in his thoughts and didn't speak much this morning. Did you guys have a fight or something?" Annie was trying to find out what was going on with her father.

"No, not really. I haven't seen him since the accident." Whitney felt sick about herself for lying to Annie but she really didn't want to discuss with her what happened yesterday.

"Alright then, maybe you'll be able to reach him on the phone sometime today. I've got to go back to my class. Bye, Whitney."

"Bye, sweetheart. And thank you!" Whitney felt like someone was chocking her. She knew exactly what was going on with Kevin. He was heartbroken. She was supposed to be with him at the hospital, hold his hand and tell him everything is going to be all right. But she wasn't.

She tried to call Kevin several times but he wasn't answering his phone. Whitney tried to reach him for two days but had no luck at all. On the third day she couldn't take it any more. She packed a few things, dropped BK at her mother's because Bobby was _touring_ again and left for Aspen. During her drive to the airport, thousands of thoughts ran through her head. "How could I be so stupid! What is wrong with me?" She felt like crying again. "Alright Whitney, you made a huge mistake and now was the time to fix it. Gosh, I can't believe I'm talking to myself."

Three hours later she finally arrived at Kevin's ranch. It was covered with a white blanket of snow after receiving fresh snowfall the day before. The beauty of her surroundings took her breath away. Even though it was cold outside she felt the familiar warmth inside of her. Whenever she was near Kevin, she felt that way. And there she was now, standing in front of his door hoping he'll forgive her for the hundredth time. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently. After a while she heard his slow footsteps…


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Thank you all for the wonderful and encouraging reviews. Please note that I changed the rating to M._

Chapter 4

Kevin slowly and carefully opened the door, half hiding behind it. The moment Whitney saw him, her heart leaped in her chest. And there was that smile, not the one she gives everyone when she's on stage or when she's giving interviews, the smile she reserves just for Kevin. But a shadow fell across her face when she saw his reaction. Kevin wasn't impressed by seeing her at all and simply stared at her without saying a word.

"Hey, handsome!" Whitney tried to lighten the mood a little bit but it wasn't working at all. He was still just looking at her, his face unreadable. "Would you mind letting me in? It's pretty cold out here." Kevin reluctantly stepped aside and let her in.

Whitney entered the house and noticed the well known planked floor of the grand hallway that led to formal living room. Oh, how she loved that living room. She remembered both of them spending hours kissing and cuddling on the leather couch in front of the fireplace. It was a dark stone fireplace; so inviting right now as it was a few months back. Most of the natural light was made with sheer curtains, which filtered the light softly while still providing privacy. The walls were covered in built-in bookshelves adding even more warmth to the room. Whitney never wanted to leave this place again. She put her bag on the ground and turned around to face Kevin. He was watching every move she made, still not saying a word.

"How are you? How's your leg?" He looked so good wearing just a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans, and all she wanted to do is run to him and kiss him senseless.

"I'm fine. The leg is fine. Why are you here?" His answers were fast and almost whispered.

"I wanted to apologize to you and explain why I didn't call yesterday." She was still eyeing him, mentally slapping herself for hurting this gorgeous man.

"I don't want to hear any apologies or any explanations any more. I'm tired of this, Whitney and I want you to leave. I don't want you here." Kevin kept his voice down but he was clearly annoyed.

"Well, that's too bad, Kevin because I'm not going anywhere. You want me out here? Call the cops." She crossed her arms and felt a little bit proud of herself for making her stand clear.

Kevin tried to move but winced the moment he made a step. He grimaced and Whitney hurried to support him but he held his hand up gesturing to keep her distance. Taking a deep breath he slowly moved to the couch and laid down placing his right leg on a pillow. Whitney carefully observed his actions.

"Are you alright?" Seeing him being in pain made her stomach turn.

"I'm fine, just leave my alone." Kevin closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

"That's just perfect, honey. While you keep acting like a five-year-old, I'll cook us something delicious. I'm sure you haven't eaten properly since the accident." Whitney took off her coat and headed to the kitchen. She knew her way around and quickly checked if she had the right ingredients and equipment to create something wonderful for him.

Kevin must have been exhausted because he dozed off after a few minutes. She let him sleep and kept working on her delicious meal with smiling eyes that sparkle as she was humming a tune. After a while a warm, lovely, spicy, smell of freshly baked bread woke Kevin up. He watched Whitney working around in his kitchen humming happily. The scene brought back the old feelings and was tearing him apart. He was confused and didn't know what to think or what to do. Whenever he'd let her in and open up to her she would do something like she did yesterday and push him away. Why would it be any different this time?

"There you are, sleepy head! Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." She beamed at him, walked into the living room and took a seat in the leather chair next to the couch.

"I'm not hungry," was all he said and closed his eyes again.

"Please, baby. I've been cooking for an hour and a half and you need to eat something. Besides, you can close your eyes as much as you want, that won't make me disappear. Like I said, I'm not going anywhere. My place is next to you and we'll work this out." The last sentence surprised her but it came straight from her heart. "So could you please get up and have dinner with me? I beg you, Kevin." She was looking at him with pleading eyes hoping he would finally give in.

How could he resist her beautiful eyes, those eyes he got lost in hundreds of times before. There was a battle inside of him, a battle he just lost over what's in his heart. "Fine," was all he said and carefully pulled himself up.

Kevin wasn't really aware of how hungry he was until he tried her sliced chicken breast in peanut sauce. They ate in complete silence but Whitney risked glancing at him from time to time. It was driving her crazy to have him that close to her without being able to touch him. After their meal Kevin offered to help her with the dishes but she wouldn't let him. She made some tea and joined him in the living room. It was a blessing and a torture at the same time sitting this close to him. Whitney could literally feel the heat radiating from his body.

"I'd like you to tell me what happened yesterday and I only want to hear the truth, Whitney." He wasn't looking at her, his eyes focusing on the mug in his hand.

"Alright." She let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding and told him about everything that happened yesterday, the whole truth. Kevin listened to every word she said.

After she had finished her story he turned around to face her.

"I heard everything you said and before I take my medicine and go to bed I'd like to tell you the following. I love you, Whitney and I was always honest about my feelings for you. It's not a secret that you were the main reason I filed for divorce and I haven't regretted it since." He made a pause and looked at the pictures hanging above the fireplace. "My children mean everything to me and I'm a good father to them. I can't be with them every day but when I'm with them they get all my attention and all my love. I never missed one soccer game, never missed one theater play and never missed one concert. Whenever they need me, I'm there for them." His eyes were back on her. "You see, since my divorce, I'm managing my relationship with you, I'm managing my relationship with my kids and I'm managing my career. Now, tell me Whitney, why can't you?" The question surprised her and she didn't know what to say. "Before you answer me, there is one thing I'd like to tell you. Tonight, I'd like you to think about your life and make a decision. I want you to choose between him and me and I want you to tell me how you've decided in the morning. If you decide to stay with him, if you decide against divorce, you'll pack your bag and leave this place and me forever. Me or him, all or nothing, it's your choice." With that he leaned in, kissed her forehead and left her sitting alone in the living room while heading for his bedroom. Whitney was speechless and simply stared in front of her. She didn't notice the tears streaming down her face.

Kevin laid in his bed reading, his upper body propped up. There was no chance sleep would find him after the conversation he just had with Whitney. Thousands of questions shot through his head: What if she chooses him, what if she decides she doesn't love him as much as he loves her, what if she… In that moment the door to his bedroom opened and Whitney appeared wearing her nightshirt and light sweatpants.

"There's only one man I want to be with for the rest of my life and that's you. I don't need to think about it till the morning." For the first time in her life Whitney knew exactly what she wanted and needed in her life.

"Are you sure?" His voice was hoarse filled with emotions.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life." She felt relieved and free and wanted to embrace the whole world. Finally, she knew what she wanted and what she was going to fight for.

Kevin put his book aside. Turning back the covers on her side of the bed, he invited her to join him. She eagerly jumped on his bed and sat onto his lap so that she straddled him with one knee to each side of his hips, careful of his injured leg. Shifting his hips, he pulled her towards him. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, a feeling that put every nerve of her body on alert, and pressed her forehead to his. He couldn't resist anymore and his hands cradled her face guiding her closer to him. Kevin gently nudged her lips with the tip of his tongue teasing her and waiting for her to open her lips slightly. Her mind was racing. Hissing out a breath, Whitney put all her longing into the kiss, sliding her tongue against his and biting his lower lip that had him moaning deep in his throat. The passion overtook them both and the kiss became a battle for dominance. Kevin's hands found their way under her shirt, eager to feel skin on skin. "I missed you so much," Whitney managed to say between hot kisses and moans. Kevin covered her mouth again, the passion and love he felt leaving her breathless. They kept kissing frantically, their problems and the rest of the world fading away...

**_TBC_**


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: Thank you, thank you and thank you for all the wonderful reviews! _

**Chapter 5**

Is there any better feeling than resting next to the one you love, then waking up to him und watching his angelic face while he's sleeping. Whitney woke up in the middle of the night resisting the urge to wake Kevin up and make love to him for the second time that night. Instead she decided to simply watch him slumbering. She'd reach over from time to time feeling his skin and caressing his face, gently tracing the tips of her fingers across his jaw.

Her thoughts wandered to the first time she met him. It was somewhere around June, she didn't remember the exact date or time. All she really knew was it happened in the evening at the Café Dulce. Kevin called her the day before to set up a meeting telling her about that small café where no one would probably recognize them or pay attention to them. She remembered entering the café feeling nervous like a teenage girl going on her first date. The light in the café seemed warm, almost romantic, calming her nerves a little bit. Whitney saw him sitting in the corner, waving her over to his table and grinning like a schoolboy. Oh that smile, that smile did things to her. She extended her hand to him telling him how great it was to finally meet him. But he didn't say a word. He was just staring at her. She started to feel uncomfortable and called his name, her voice bringing him out of his reverie. "God, you're so beautiful," was all Kevin managed to say. "I mean, I expected you to be beautiful but I didn't expect you to be that beautiful." Whitney blushed under his gaze. "Well, you're not so bad yourself," she said, telling one of the biggest lies in her life. Truth to be told, he was as handsome and sexy as a man can be. They talked for a long time, not only about their movie but also about their lives and their dreams and they laughed together, totally at ease with each other. With Kevin, she allowed herself to be just Whitney. Thinking back, she realized that he brought something back into her life. She didn't know what it was or where it was hiding but it was completing her.

In the morning Whitney woke up to a breathtaking surprise. Kevin made her breakfast in bed, which is huge, considering the fact he did it with an injured leg. He served it on a tray and woke her up saying "Hey, my beautiful, wake up." She awoke to him holding a tray with some orange juice, toast, eggs and fruits for both of them. He sat at the foot of the bed and watched her lovingly while they shared the delicious food.

"What are you up for today," Kevin asked and drank some of his juice.

"Now, that's easy. I want to take a shower together with you, cuddle in front of the fireplace with you, make out on the couch with you, have lunch with you, make out on the couch again and slowly move it to the bedroom where I want you to make love to me the whole night. How does that sound?" Whitney innocently took a bite of her toast and glanced at him, expecting him to choke on his orange juice. To her surprise, he pretty much had the same plans for both of them.

"Sounds perfect to me, except for one thing. We should take a bath instead of taking a shower. My leg." He pointed to his injured leg.

"Of course, honey. I should've known better. Bath sounds even better to me." She opened her mouth and took a bite of the strawberry Kevin was feeding her.

The next few days were like heaven on earth. It seemed like Kevin and Whitney were founding more reasons to love each other every day. It was as if Kevin's eyes were just to look at Whitney, never getting tired of admiring her beauty. And Whitney became a slave to his kisses, never getting enough of them. They both had been through a lot together but down the road they finally found the right person to spend the rest of their lives with.

It was hard for both of them to leave the house but it was time to head back to Los Angeles. Whitney dropped Kevin at his house and helped him carry his suitcase inside. As soon as the door was closed she hugged him tightly and refused to let go.

"I can't do this, Kev. I don't want to leave you now." She pressed herself against his body relishing every second of it. Kevin took a deep breath holding her as tight as was humanly possible.

"I love you so much. I can't wait for the divorce to be through. Do you know what I'm really looking forward to? Kissing you good night, holding you during the night and kissing you good morning." He buried his nose into her hair inhaling her wonderful scent.

"I'll call my lawyer today and I need to talk to BK too." She reluctantly pulled away from him and headed toward the door. Just as she was about to open the door, Kevin swung her around and kissed her with all the passion he felt inside. Whitney responded with the same hungry, feverish kisses making his skin crawl. Unfortunately, they had to come up for air leaving them dying for more.

"I've got to go, babes." Whitney was almost whining.

"Yeah, I know. I know." He kissed her forehead and opened the door for her.

"I love you, more than you'll ever know." Whitney hated these moments but she knew she had some unfinished business to taker care of.

"I love you to Pluto and back." His statement earned him the brightest of her smiles. Kevin watched her drive off for the hundredth time. This time though they had a future to look forward to.

The next few weeks were not easy. Divorce was taking a heavy toll on Whitney and BK, physically, emotionally, psychologically and of course financially. Whitney didn't give much of a thought about the endless list of things that she inevitably had to deal with when she had had to face divorce. Kevin tried to support her as much as he could but the press wasn't helping at all. The paparazzi were everywhere and didn't give them many possibilities to see each other. It seemed like the whole world wanted to know every detail about Whitney's divorce.

Dionne decided to leave town for the weekend, so Kevin and Whitney could spend some time alone at her house. Whitney was running late because BK was acting out at home. Kevin was constantly checking his watch when his phone rang.

"Martha, it's been a while. How are you doing?" Martha was his father's neighbor. She was like family and Kevin adored her.

"Kevin, sweetheart, I'm calling to tell you that Herb had a heart attack one hour ago. He's at the St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood. According to Dr. Williams he's in a critical state."

_**TBC**_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thank you all for your wonderful messages and encouraging reviews!_

**Chapter 6 **

It's always frightening when a parent becomes ill. Kevin wasn't ready to face a life without his parents. He wanted them to be there when his kids graduate from college, he wanted them to be there when he finally decides to pursue his music career and he wanted them to be there when one day Whitney walks down the aisle to say "yes" to him and only him. Thousands of thoughts shot through his head while he was driving to Lynwood, making him realize how much he loved his parents, his children and Whitney. He quickly dialed her number and put her on the speaker.

"Baby, I'm on my way to Dionne's. I'm telling you, BK was driving me crazy. I really don't know what's wrong with that kid lately." Whitney was obviously frustrated with her little girl.

"Honey, she's going through a lot at the moment. Giver he some time to understand what's changing in her life and why." Kevin's children went through the same process and he understood the way BK behaved towards her mother. "Listen Whit, I'm not at Dionne's, I'm actually on my way to Lynwood." He was surprisingly calm while he was talking to her.

"Wait, what? Why are you driving to Lynwood?" Whitney was confused with the sudden change of plans.

"Martha called me about 15 minutes ago. My dad had a heart attack. Mom is with him and Martha and Stewart are there to support her." And he needed Whitney with him to get through this. "Can you come?" His voice was still even and he didn't want to sound desperate but he needed her near him.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry about your dad. But he's a strong man, Kevin. He'll make it, I'm sure of that. And you are not alone in this. I'll be there by your side, baby. Let me call my mother first, drop BK at her place and I'll be on my way in a few." Her heart ached for him and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and whisper soothing words.

Kevin practically stormed into the hospital heading straight to the third floor. Martha told him where to go and he couldn't wait to get there.

"Mom!" Kevin rushed to his mother and gave her a hug. She buried herself into his chest not willing to let him go. "Everything is going to be fine, mom. He'll be fine." Kevin tried to calm her down even though he felt like drowning himself. They separated and his mother took him by the hand leading him towards the bed. Kevin was sure he heard his heart pounding in his chest. This was his father, lying there with many tubes hooked up to him. His eyes were closed. Kevin couldn't speak and he was afraid that if he tried, he would start crying. So he just sat by the bed and took his father's hand squeezing it from time to time. One hour later Annie, Lilly and Joe arrived filling the room with life.

Whitney parked in front of the hospital facing the similar scene like a few months before. The entrance was blocked by the paparazzi. They were armed with their cameras waiting for some macabre sensation to happen. Whitney closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and dialed a well-known number.

"Robyn, it's me, Whitney. I need you to prepare some statements for the press." She told Robyn the whole story.

"Listen to me Whitney, I don't care if the Pope himself is staying at that hospital. You're not going in there! You are in the middle of your divorce, girl. The press is going to eat you up if you walk through that door. Kevin has to deal with his problems himself." Robyn was Whitney's PR agent and she was not happy about the current situation.

"Now you listen to me Robyn, I'm not calling to ask for your permission. I'm calling to tell you to prepare yourself for a press hurricane. There's nothing in the world that could stop me from going in there. Kevin is the man I love and he needs me! I let him down once and that's not going to ever happen again. Did I make my self clear?" With that she hang up on her. Whitney was on the edge of emotions and she didn't need any lectures from Robyn. She got out of the car ready to face another battle and to fight for her true love.

Kevin stepped out of the room and took a seat in one of the plastic chairs. He needed some time alone to gather his thoughts and to get his emotions under control. Kevin first ran his hands through his hair and then covered his face. It felt like everything was falling apart. Just when he thought he would lose it right there, Kevin felt two soft hands on his own, uncovering his face.

"Hey, handsome." Whitney knelt in front of him. Her intense, more like powerful eyes were staring at him, giving him the strength he needed. Kevin knelt down before her and wrapped his arms around her body, putting everything he felt into their embrace. She tangled her fingers in his hair, balling them into painful fists. They held each other tightly, not willing to let go, hanging on for dear life.

"I'm so glad you're here. I love you so much." Kevin never felt so vulnerable and strong at the same time.

"I'm here, baby and I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this. You and me." It was a moment close to perfection.

TBC


End file.
